Price: $49.99

The Good

The Bad

Will eventually collapse in stand mode unless stood at steep angle

Elastomer unlikely to prevent damage from high drops

"Hinge" could potentially tear

A common trick for iPad case makers wanting some attention is to use crazy patterns or textures; anything, essentially, to make a product resemble more than a generic model you could buy off of Monoprice. SwitchEasy's CARA folio -- newly tailored to the third-generation iPad -- initially seems to follow the same approach, using a lid with a raised honeycomb design that's obviously more about looks than practicality. That hardly makes the CARA impractical, though, as we'll explore in our review.

Design

There are just two parts to the CARA: the lid, and the elastomer back that the iPad slots into. Installing an iPad may take a little more time than you'd expect, just because there's a lip that has to wrap around the edges of the tablet. After struggling with it for a little bit, though, you should be fine, and the tradeoff is worthwhile. The lip offers a little extra protection, and the back as a whole should keep an iPad safe from any scuffs, scratches, or small dings. Tidy cutouts are present for the mic, camera, headphone jack, rotation switch, and dock connector, but the sleep/wake and volume buttons are covered, and even the area over the speaker is perforated just enough to let sound through.

One weakness is that the "hinge" on the case is just an extension of the back, and made of the same material. While it does feel less flimsy than what you'd find on something like the Griffin IntelliCase, there still seems to be the potential for the case to tear if you pull the lid back too hard, or too often. I should also point out that if you drop an iPad from a height onto a hard surface, the back is only going to be a modest help against shock damage.

The lid may be a different story. It's built with a tough polycarbonate material, and the honeycomb pattern makes it feel quite thick, even if it's not much thicker than what you'd see on most other folios. For travelers, the CARA may be perfect -- it's thin enough to fit into a satchel or travel bag, but I can virtually guarantee you that an iPad's screen will stay safe with the case closed.

Use

Another strength of the accessory is grip. Intentionally or not, that honeycomb creates convenient anchorpoints for your thumb, which makes it especially easy to pick up an iPad one-handed. The elastomer back helps even further, since it's virtually impossible for your fingers to slip. You do have to fold the lid back to actually use your iPad, but it folds perfectly flat, and a pattern on the lid's inside provides enough grip of its own.

Magnets in the lid trigger an iPad's sleep/wake functions, as is normal these days. A latch is used to keep the case shut; it may in fact be one of the best ones I've ever seen, since it somehow manages to stay secure when you want it to be, but flips open effortlessly.

If there's a serious issue with the CARA it's trying to use it in stand mode. In theory you should be able to bend the lid back to about a 45-degree angle for support, but the only thing keeping it propped up is the latch. In practice the lid will gradually slip out every time at that angle, brought down by the weight of the iPad. The only solution is to adjust the lid to a very steep angle -- which keeps the case surprisingly sturdy, but only on smooth, even surfaces such as a desk, not on your lap or a bed.

Conclusions

Although the CARA should probably be avoided if you need a good stand, it's otherwise one of the best cases available for the third-gen iPad. I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to recommend it. For its essential purposes, very few other folios can even compete.

Now AAPL Stock: 113.95 ( + 1.83 )

Cirrus creates Lightning-headphone dev kit

Apple supplier Cirrus Logic has introduced a MFi-compliant new development kit for companies interested in using Cirrus' chips to create Lightning-based headphones, which -- regardless of whether rumors about Apple dropping the analog headphone jack in its iPhone this fall -- can offer advantages to music-loving iOS device users. The kit mentions some of the advantages of an all-digital headset or headphone connector, including higher-bitrate support, a more customizable experience, and support for power and data transfer into headphone hardware. Several companies already make Lightning headphones, and Apple has supported the concept since June 2014. http://bit.ly/29giiZj

Share

Developer163d

Apple Store app offers Procreate Pocket

The Apple Store app for iPhone, which periodically rewards users with free app gifts, is now offering the iPhone "Pocket" version of drawing app Procreate for those who have the free Apple Store app until July 28. Users who have redeemed the offer by navigating to the "Stores" tab of the app and swiping past the "iPhone Upgrade Program" banner to the "Procreate" banner have noted that only the limited Pocket (iPhone) version of the app is available free, even if the Apple Store app is installed and the offer redeemed on an iPad. The Pocket version currently sells for $3 on the iOS App Store. [32.4MB]

Share

163d

Porsche adds CarPlay to 2017 Panamera

Porsche has added a fifth model of vehicle to its CarPlay-supported lineup, announcing that the 2017 Panamera -- which will arrive in the US in January -- will include Apple's infotainment technology, and be seen on a giant 12.3-inch touchscreen as part of an all-new Porsche Communication Management system. The luxury sedan starts at $99,900 for the 4S model, and scales up to the Panamera Turbo, which sells for $146,900. Other vehicles that currently support CarPlay include the 2016 911 and the 2017 models of Macan, 718 Boxster, and 718 Cayman. The company did not mention support for Google's corresponding Android Auto in its announcement. http://bit.ly/295ZQ94

Share

Industry163d

Apple employees testing wheelchair features

New features included in the forthcoming watchOS 3 are being tested by Apple retail store employees, including a new activity-tracking feature that has been designed with wheelchair users in mind. The move is slightly unusual in that, while retail employees have previously been used to test pre-release versions of OS X and iOS, this marks the first time they've been included in the otherwise developer-only watchOS betas. The company is said to have gone to great lengths to modify the activity tracker for wheelchair users, including changing the "time to stand" notification to "time to roll" and including two wheelchair-centric workout apps. http://bit.ly/2955JDa

Share

Troubleshooting163d

SanDisk reveals two 256GB microSDXC cards

SanDisk has introduced two 256GB microSDXC cards. Arriving in August for $150, the Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Premium Edition card offers transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s for reading data. The Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card can read at a fast 100MB/s and write at up to 90MB/s, and will be shipping sometime in the fourth quarter for $200. http://bit.ly/294Q1If

Share

Upgrades/storage163d

Apple's third-quarter results due July 26

Apple has advised it will be issuing its third-quarter results on July 26, with a conference call to answer investor and analyst queries about the earnings set to take place later that day. The stream of the call will go live at 2pm PT (5pm ET) via Apple's investor site, with the results themselves expected to be released roughly 30 minutes before the call commences. Apple's guidance for the quarter put revenue at between $41 billion and $43 billion. http://apple.co/1oi1Pbm

Share

Investor164d

Twitter stickers slowly roll out to users

Twitter has introduced "stickers," allowing users to add extra graphical elements to their photos before uploading them to the micro-blogging service. A library of hundreds of accessories, props, and emoji will be available to use as stickers, which can be resized, rotated, and placed anywhere on the photograph. Images with stickers will also become searchable with viewers able to select a sticker to see how others use the same graphic in their own posts. Twitter advises stickers will be rolling out to users over the next few weeks, and will work on both the mobile apps and through the browser. http://bit.ly/29bbwUE